Hug High School football coach Rollins Stallworth watches his team practice at the school in November 2005. / David B. Parker

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Rollins Stallworth has been the head football coach at Hug since 1993 and has made the Hawks winners many times over. He left the school Wednesday to become an assistant principal at O'Brien Middle School.

Stallworth told his team Wednesday night.

"There were a lot of tears. It was very tough," Stallworth said. "I challenged them to step up."

Athletic director and offensive coordinator Brad Bodine will take over the program this season on an interim basis. Official practices begin Aug. 12 and the season starts Aug. 27.

Stallworth built Hug into a perennial contender and was also the informal leader and face of the school.

Hug has continued to succeed under Stallworth, despite diminishing enrollment and dated facilities.

"The legacy Rollins leaves at Hug is one of perseverance and growth over time with many awards and honors to his credit, the credit of his coaching staff, and most importantly to the thousands of phenomenal athletes that he had the chance to coach and mentor over the past 17 seasons," principal Andrew Kelly said in a news release.

Stallworth was the longest-tenured active coach in the Washoe County School District and second-longest active football coach in Northern Nevada to Douglas' Mike Rippee, who is entering his 25th season with the Tigers. Stallworth's exit comes a year after Ken Dalton retired from coaching at McQueen after 27 seasons.

"I didn't think there was ever going to be a good time to leave Hug," said Stallworth, who has been a teacher there since the fall of 1985.

The opportunity to move into administration -- Stallworth has had his administration certificate for four years -- was the biggest reason for his departure. But he said differences with the Hug administration in recent years also played their part.

"Things were changing at Hug," Stallworth said. "There were changes that were to the point that I didn't think I would be able to maintain the success we've had."

He declined to elaborate further, but one issue could have been the future of all Hug athletics. Stallworth has advocated to keep Hug in Class 4A, but the Hawks could be dropped to the smaller 3A when statewide realignment occurs again in two years.

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Stallworth said he'll always remember the 2005 season fondly. Hug came out of nowhere that year to beat McQueen in the region championship and Cimarron-Memorial in the state semifinals before losing to Las Vegas High in the 4A state championship.

"That season will always be very special to me," said Stallworth, who played at Nevada and was a Hug assistant before becoming head coach. "We built a very formidable program, and I'm very proud of that. But my greatest memory will be staying as long as I did and maintaining the level of the program through some obstacles, like when McQueen opened and when North Valleys opened and drastically changed our enrollment and student body."

Stallworth won't fade away. He'll be at each McQueen game this season, where his son who goes by the same name is a senior wide receiver and defensive back, and will continue to head the Northern Nevada Football Coaches Association "until someone else takes it over."

He'll also be available whenever Bodine may need a little advice.

"I know I can count on Rollins whenever I'll need him," Bodine said. "He's been such a big part of the program and school for so long. Him stepping away is going to be tough to replace.

"He had an ability to get the best out of the kids. Whatever ability they have, he could get the most out of them."